IGEL Blog
Funding the Future of Zero Trust: Unlocking ROI at the Endpoint
CIOs and CISOs are facing a familiar dilemma. They are asked to deliver stronger security, greater agility, and better user experiences while reducing cost and complexity. Nowhere is this tension more visible than at the endpoint, where the legacy model of refresh cycles, stacked agents, and reactive patching continues to drain budgets.
IGEL’s new study, Unlocking Endpoint ROI, shows that this approach is no longer sustainable. Based on data from more than 140 enterprise analyses, the findings reveal that organizations can take a fundamentally smarter path. By transforming the endpoint into a secure-by-design platform rooted in prevention-first principles, enterprises can reduce costs dramatically while strengthening Zero Trust security.
Across all industries, the results were consistent: an average 62 percent reduction in endpoint IT expenditure, equating to more than $900,000 in annual savings per organization.
These savings are not simply operational efficiencies. They are freeing the financial capacity to fund strategic change.
A Shift in Security Architecture
The industry is moving rapidly toward Zero Trust, ZTNA, and SASE frameworks that move data and workloads away from the endpoint and into secure, policy-controlled environments. This shift requires rethinking how security and manageability are delivered.
Yet many organizations are still trying to solve modern security challenges with yesterday’s endpoint model, one that assumes more software, more patches, and more hardware will somehow close the gap.
The study confirms that a prevention-first approach offers a clear alternative. By using a secure, immutable operating system that eliminates local attack surfaces and simplifies management, organizations can achieve stronger protection with fewer resources. It is not only a more secure model but a financially smarter one.
Security That Funds Innovation
The IGEL Preventative Security Model™ and IGEL Adaptive Secure Desktop™ changes the economics of endpoint computing. Devices last longer; management becomes simpler, and redundant software layers disappear.
- Hardware savings: Extended lifecycles and repurposed devices avoid costly refreshes.
- IT labor savings: Centralized management and a smaller OS footprint reduce administrative overhead.
- Software savings: Removing unnecessary agents cuts license and maintenance costs.
Across industries, these changes add up to meaningful results.
In financial services, organizations are saving an average of $3.5 million per year while meeting new Zero Trust mandates.
Healthcare providers are freeing $800,000 annually for patientcare and cybersecurity investments.
Manufacturers are redirecting $1.3 million in annual savings toward Industry 4.0 modernization.
Government agencies are cutting endpoint IT spend by 63 percent while advancing compliance and security goals.
The pattern is clear: prevention-first endpoint security delivers both protection and performance while unlocking new capacity to innovate.
A Smarter Way Forward
For years, endpoints have been treated as a sunk cost. Every upgrade, patch, and agent added to the expense column, diverting funds from more strategic initiatives. This research shows that it does not have to be that way.
By adopting a prevention-first, Zero Trust-aligned endpoint architecture, organizations can reduce cost, strengthen resilience, and reinvest in transformation. The endpoint can move from being a burden to being a catalyst — a foundation for smarter, more sustainable computing.
IGEL’s ROI study makes the case clear. Security and savings are no longer opposites. They are the outcomes of prevention.
Learn more in the full study, Unlocking Endpoint ROI with IGEL, and see how your organization can fund the next phase of innovation through a smarter, more secure endpoint strategy. Download the full study
